Chapter 8
First—
Chloe got into a carriage and stopped by the Imperial clinic in the center of Calentia.
This was to leave behind a record—or witnesses—that she had visited the clinic today.
Since the man had not yet given a definite answer about the affair, she needed to be careful, at least for today.
After a light consultation at the clinic, she came out.
She deliberately sent back her family’s carriage and instead hired an ordinary one.
Then she headed straight to the Bloodien Grand Duke’s residence.
The reply Karsein had sent included a map showing the location of the estate.
According to the map, it was still within the capital, but right at the border between the city and its outskirts.
So for Chloe—who lived near the imperial palace, in the very center of the capital—it took quite a long time to get there.
She was not used to riding in a carriage for so long.
After some time, she began to feel a little suffocated.
Her palms were damp with sweat as she sat upright, hands placed neatly over her abdomen.
Then she reached out and opened the carriage window.
A cold wind rushed in, as if it had been waiting.
It seeped into her skin.
She took a deep breath in and out, then looked outside again.
Far away, beneath the slope of a mountain ridge—
She saw a single stone mansion standing alone.
As the carriage moved closer, the mansion, which had looked small before, revealed its vast and overwhelming presence.
But from the outer walls to the roof, everything was excessively colorless.
Rather than a grand and luxurious residence of a high-ranking ducal family—
It felt more like a fortress.
Perhaps that impression was not wrong.
From the entrance leading to the estate, the road became narrow and winding.
On both sides, trees of all kinds grew thick and dense, as if they had never been trimmed on purpose.
…
Branches even stretched into the carriage window.
By the time Chloe realized she should close it—
It was already too late.
“Ah!”
A thin, sharp branch brushed against her cheek, leaving a scratch.
“Isn’t this… basically a warning telling people not to come here?”
Frowning, Chloe pressed the stinging spot with her palm and bit her lip.
Then she opened her clutch and took out the mirror she always carried.
As expected—
There was a horizontal cut beneath her eye.
It was small, but a little blood had already formed.
She had already been to the clinic, and she had no ointment with her.
So Chloe took out a puff with light-colored powder and gently dabbed it over the wound.
It became slightly less noticeable—
But the blood kept forming again.
“Whatever…”
In the end, she had no choice but to take out a handkerchief, wipe the blood, and press it down again and again until it stopped.
While she was holding her cheek tightly with the handkerchief—
The carriage arrived in front of the mansion she had seen earlier.
Since it had taken quite a long time to reach here, it felt as if she had come deep into a forest.
After paying the fare, Chloe stepped out of the carriage.
She made sure to take the black coat with her.
The handkerchief she had been using was put back into her clutch.
Soon after the carriage left—
The tightly closed iron gate slowly opened.
An elderly man with white hair stepped out and bowed politely.
“Are you Miss Chloe Enrite?”
At his question, Chloe nodded.
“I am Raul Grevant, the butler of the Bloodien Grand Duke’s residence. I will guide you to His Grace.”
The man who introduced himself as a butler was an older gentleman with a refined appearance.
…
Following him to the main building—
She finally entered through the central door.
Inside, it was frighteningly quiet and neat.
Everything was excessively clean and perfectly arranged.
There was not even a speck of dust.
It made her wonder—
Does anyone even live here?
The silence around her was not just calm—
It felt lonely… even eerie.
After walking for a while inside the mansion—
She arrived at a wide reception room with the same atmosphere.
And there—
She faced a man.
Cold.
Elegant.
Raul, who had guided her here, spoke:
“Your Grace, the young lady you mentioned has arrived.”
The man sitting at the head of the large sofa stared at Chloe—
Then his expression quickly hardened.
His long, sharp eyes fell on her cheek.
But he did not ask anything.
Instead, he spoke straight to the point.
“Since you came all the way here, it seems you are ready to give me what I want.”
Karsein’s tone was heavy—
And still as domineering as before.
Without even being told to sit—
Chloe, maintaining her noble composure, spoke first.
“May I sit first?”
Karsein gave a slight nod.
Chloe sat on the long sofa beside him.
At that moment, a servant brought tea.
She wrapped her hands around the warm teacup.
After warming them slightly, she was about to ask what he wanted—
But Karsein spoke first, coldly.
“You said you wanted to have an affair with me.”
“That’s right.”
She answered quietly.
Even in this situation, she calmly lifted the teacup and took a sip of the unfamiliar tea.
Then—
Karsein suddenly said—
…
“That affair—will be on the condition of marriage.”
“Cough—!”
Chloe choked violently.
Marriage?
She almost spilled the tea.
Still coughing, her wide eyes fixed on him.
“Marriage… as a condition for an affair?”
She finally steadied herself and put the cup down.
“If we have an affair, the entire empire will be shaken, and all kinds of rumors will spread. How do you expect me to secure my future marriage prospects?”
…He was not wrong.
Chloe was doing this for revenge—
But for Karsein, the damage could be great.
He was the Bloodien Grand Duke—
A man of imperial blood.
Even among high nobles, he stood above most.
Getting involved with a noblewoman who already had a fiancé—
Would not be without consequences.
Chloe fell into deep thought.
Then she spoke about her own situation first.
“I am supposed to be married in three months.”
“You’re going to break that engagement anyway. Or perhaps… you’ll be the one abandoned soon.”
Karsein said lightly, with a mocking smile.
Chloe looked at him sharply—
But quietly repeated his words.
“Break the engagement…”
That was inevitable.
“I am prepared for that.”
But that was not all Chloe wanted.
She wanted ruin.
The complete destruction of Lucian Edmont—
And her sister, Roeni Enrite.
…
That was the ending she desired for their twisted love.
Karsein let out a low laugh.
“Once the engagement is broken, your future prospects will also become uncertain.”
As if—
He already held the key to everything that would happen.
“Yes. Breaking an engagement is not a small matter. The eyes of Calentia’s society will not be kind.”
“But you already accepted that when you proposed this affair to me, didn’t you?”
“Yes.”
Chloe answered calmly, her eyes firm.
Karsein stared at her, resting his chin lazily on his hand.
“My reputation is already well known in high society. Most nobles know why I was removed from the position of Crown Prince and sent to the North.”
…
Chloe knew vaguely about it—
But not in detail.
Curiosity showed on her face.
But Karsein did not continue.
“You’ll learn about me eventually. For now, let’s skip that and decide this here.”
“What decision?”
“If you are prepared to have an affair—even at the cost of breaking your engagement—then your honor and reputation will fall to the very bottom, no matter the reason.”
His eyes were cold—
As if speaking of something insignificant.
“The moment we begin this affair, the ending is already decided.”
Chloe knew.
She knew what kind of storm her choice would bring in the future.
Then—
Karsein spoke the final truth.
“You, me, your fiancé, and your sister—
All four of you will end up crawling in the mud.”
